J.J. Spaun made an emphatic point that he would have been healthy enough to play for the U.S. side at next week’s Presidents Cup.
Spaun shot a final-round 5-under 67 at Wentworth Club to win the BMW PGA Championship on Sunday by two strokes over Spain’s Manuel Elvira (70), who doubled the last, and two strokes over this year’s majors winners Rory McIlroy (68), Aaron Rai (66) and past Masters winner Adam Scott (68).
Spaun, 36, birdied four of the final five holes to be the first player to finish at 17-under 271 at the DP World Tour’s flagship event in Virginia Water, England.
Elvira, who entered the week at No. 294 in the world and was seeking his first DP World Tour victory, held the 54-hole lead. He bogeyed the first hole but reclaimed the lead with
a birdie at No. 10, his third of the day. He tacked on another at No. 12 but gave the stroke back with a bogey at the par-3 14th. Moments after Spaun stretched the lead to two strokes, he canned a 9-foot eagle putt at the par-5 17th to tie for the lead. But he airmailed the 18th green with his third shot from a fairway bunker and chipped into a greenside bunker to make double bogey. That first victory will have to wait for another day.
Spaun, No. 17 in the world, finished 10th in the Presidents Cup points standings to miss out on an automatic berth on the team. He injured his shoulder at the Tour Championship and withdrew from the FedEx Cup final last month. U.S. Captain Brandt Snedeker opted to go with the likes of promising 21-year-old pro Jackson Koivun, Jacob Bridgeman, a first-time winner this season, and U.S. team mainstay Justin Thomas.
“It's a bummer to miss out on the team events, whether it's Ryder Cup or Presidents Cup. Definitely carrying a bit of a chip on my shoulder this week. Just do my best and try to win,” he said after Saturday’s round.
Spaun followed in the footsteps of Billy Horschel and Arnold Palmer as Americans to win the DP World Tour's flagship event.
"I think winning outside of America would be really awesome to putt on resumé and especially my family vacation here quite a bit, so we love coming over across the pond," he said on Saturday. "To add a trophy from one of our favorite places in the world would be a really good treat."
This article originally appeared on Golfweek: J.J. Spaun proves worth after Presidents Cup snub with BMW PGA Championship win
